The Bottom-Up Revolution Adding Third Places To Unlock a Small Town’s Potential
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Aug 26, 2025 Jess and Dan Sollaccio, community leaders from Warrenton, Oregon, share their vision for revitalizing their town. Jess focuses on developing a vacant building into a vibrant community hub, while Dan brings insights into budget management for local projects. They discuss the importance of an asset-based approach to strengthen community ties and enhance engagement. The couple highlights the role of communal spaces in fostering social connections and supporting local economies, emphasizing the potential of revitalizing main streets to transform small towns.
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Asset-Based Planning Guides Choices
- Jess learned asset-based planning on the planning commission and reframed community work around local strengths.
- She focuses on parks, people, and place to guide development choices in Warrenton.
Call The Number On The Door
- Jess stared at a semi-vacant two-story building for three years until she called the number on the door.
- That single call and persistence led them to acquire the building to create a community hub.
Use Grants To Unlock Small Projects
- Use local funding and grant programs to bridge capital gaps for small-scale redevelopment.
- Align proposals with city programs like urban renewal to increase access to grants.